Fish-hook.



um' A M" f No. 863,272. f PATBNTBD AUG. 13, 1907. V. GEBHARDT.'

FISH HOOK.

APPLIUATION FILED' MBA. 1907.

VICTOR GEBHARDT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FIsHLHooK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 19,07.

Application filed February 4, 1907. Serial No. 355,640.

To all whom it may Gomera:` y

Be it known that I, VICTOR GEBHARDT, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the county -of St. Louis City and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFish-Hooks; and I do declare the 'ollowing to be a full, clear, andexact description-of the invention, such-as will enable others skilledin the art to which it-appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention is an improved bait holder for sh hooks, and is animprovement upon the bait holders of my inventions for whichLetters-Patent of the United States were granted to me. as follows: No.'699,304, dated May 6, .1902; No. 740,416, dated October 6, 1903, and No.794,352, dated lIuly I1, 1905.

' One object of my present improvements is to simplifyA the constructionof the arms of the bait holder,

and another object4 is vto provide improved means for locking the saidarms when the bait has been attached, as hereinafter more specificallydescribed and claimed. e v

i In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved bait holder, in connection with a single hook, and showing thebait holder at- .tach ed to live bait; Fig. 2 is a similar View showingmy improved bait holder attached to a doublohook and to a livebait; Fig;3 is a detail front elevation of my irnproved bait holder-,showing thesame op'en; Fig. 4 is a simil-.tr view, showing the same closed; Fig. 5is a perspective View of my improved bait holder attached to a singlehook; and Fig. 6 is a similar View, showing the same attached to adouble hook.

In accordance with my present invention, 1 provide a bait holder 1,which is made from a single piece of suitable spring wire. form an openeye 2, whichcorresponds in size and shape with the eye ofthe hook towhich it is adapted to be attached. A pair of arms 3, 4, which arestraight for the greater portion of their length extend from the saidlopen eye. Said arms have their outer'- portions curvedoutwardly inopposite directions, as at 5, 6, an

eye 7 is formed at the outer end of the curved portion G of the arm 4,and' a transversely-disposed point 8, is bent from the outer end of thecurved portion 5 of the arm 3, is adapted to be pressed through the bodyof the lbait and to be engaged withthe eye 7 when the arms 3, 4, arepressed toward each other, as will be understood. The said bait holder,by the inherent resiliency of the wire from which itis made, normallycauses the arms 3, .4, to spring apart, as shown in Fig. 3. To securethe said arms in parallel position, and with the point '8 en- YYgagedwith-the eye 7 after said point has been passed Athrough the bait, Iprovide axk'eeper 9, which is a loop The wire is doubled and bent to'through which the straight portions of the arms 3, 4, 5'5 pass, and ofsuch length as to permit said arms to spring apart when said' keeper isnear the eye, as shown in .Fig 3, and to move said arms toward eachother and secure them in parallel position with respect to each otherwhen said keeper is moved downwardly on said arms to theoutwardly-curved portions, 6, thereof, asf l shown in Fig. 4. It will beobserved by reference tothe drawings that the inner portions of the saidarms 3, 4,- Where'they join the eye'2, are bent outwardly from said eye,as at 10, to cause the said arms to clear the "shank or Shanks 0f thesingle or double hook. The eye t 2 of Vthe bait holder which, as`herein'be'fore stated, is of' theV same size and shape as that ofthehobk isrin prac- -tice united to the eye of the'hook as by solderingor -brazing p It may be otherwise secured to the' hook, 70

within the scope of vmy invention', and I do not limit myself in thisparticular.

It will be observed by reference to thedrawings, that lmy improved baitholder obviates the necessity of passingthe hook through the body of thebait and when used with live haitl inlicts practically no injury theretoand serves to keep the bait close to the hook, or between the two hookswhn used on a double hook, presents the bait to the fish head' first,lively and active, enables the bait to be 'detached and re-attachedatthe 80 pleasure of the angler` with least possible injury'to thebait,l and keeps thebait in such position with reference to the hookthat a fish in endeavoring to swallow the bait will bring his .jawsquarely down on the point of -the hook'and thus effectively impalehimself. 85 From the.v foregoing description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of theinvention will be readily understood without requiring a more extendedenplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the 90 minor details ofconstruction, may be resorted to without departing -from the principleor sacricing any of the .advantages of the invention, as defined by theap- `Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, ariddesire to secure by Letters-Patent, is,-

1. A buit holder for attachment to a sh hook having a pair of armsnormally 'sprung npurt, one prov'ded with am veye and the other with n.transverse]y-extending point `to pnss through the body of the haitandienter said eye, und means. to secure said arms .together to keep.said po'mt in 5 said eye. A l 2. A bait holder for attachment to afish'hook having a pair of arms normally sprung apart, one provided withan eye 1und the other with a transversely-extending point to 105p'nssthrough the body of the lmit und enter said eye, and akeepeu'slidable longitudinally on s nid arms to lock and release them.

'3. .A bait holder for attachment to a fish hook comprising un open eyefor attachment to the eye of the hook, a

pair of arms extending from the open side of the eye, normally sprungapart. and each provided at its outer end with an outwardly-curvedportion, o ne of said curved p0rtions having an eye and the other havinga transverselydisposed point to pass through the bait and enter saideye, and a k'ceper slidable on said arms to lock or release them.

4. A sh hook having a bait holder attached thereto and disposed at one`side of its shank, said bait holder comprising a pair of arms, normallysprung apart, one having a transversely-disposed point and the otherhaving a devlce #to engage said point, and means to secure the arms to-VICTOR GEBHARDT.

Witnesses:

CnAs. A. HOFFMANN, .Gus G. SClILArrulzzI.

